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Book Review-The Theseus Paradox: David Videcette @DavidVidecette

My first read of 2016 and what a cracker it was!The Theseus Paradox by David Vidicette
My rating 5 stars *****

Review also posted on US & UK Amazon & Goodreads

A scary, hold your breath, rollercoaster of a book. My first read of 2016. This was a well written, excellent read, and if I wasn’t going through a busy time, would have finished it in a few sittings. I need a long lie down in a darkened room after reading this one! We rarely get a glimpse into the effect investigating a terrible tragedy has on the police officers involved in the case.

This part, written by the author in the forward of the book drew me in and I knew I had to read this book.

I went out to work on 7 July 2005, and two weeks later I came home wearing the same clothes and with fifty-six people dead. The quest for the truth about the London bombings took years to unravel”

Given the background of the author David Videcette, a former Scotland Yard investigator within the Metropolitan Police, who was a detective in the Anti-Terrorist Branch during the 7/7 London bombings in July 2005, the reader has to decide what is real and what isn’t. A real brain teasing conundrum that leaves you wondering throughout the whole of the book. Some of the evidence from the actual investigation into the 7/7 bombings was publicly aired at the inquest into the bombings in 2010, but little reported at the time. The book is very cleverly written and it must have been a difficult book to write, given the constraints of the Official Secrets Act. As he writes on his website ” “I can’t tell you the truth, but I can tell you a story”.

The author conveys the atmosphere of that time period during the terrible aftermath of the 7/7 atrocity ” This wasn’t London any more. This was a place he didn’t recognise”.
The leading character in the book DI Jake Flanagan, expresses his frustration about the lack of manpower to complete the tasks that he and his team were given.

At times, I had to get into the mindset of an adrenaline fuelled red blooded male, not usually easy for this old granny, but I can understand why some of the warts and all, off duty behaviour of the fictional character of DI Jake Flanagan was included. Nobody, I suspect, could be in this line of work day after day, without letting off a bit of steam on the very rare occasion that they were off duty during this intense investigation.
Reminds me in parts of one of my favourite TV series, Homeland – although that was fiction and this was – well you just don’t know!
As a renowned older lady we all know and love, is alleged to have said to a former butler of some repute, “There are powers at work in this country of which we have no knowledge”.

I sincerely hope that there is a continuing series of books about DI Jake Flanagan. I’ll have to read them with my head under a cushion though, and have long breaks admiring fluffy bunnies and flowery things!